Listening #68
<I>Snobbery is a disease of the imagination.</I>—Peter Straub, "Little Red's Tango"
LATEST ADDITIONS
Continue Reading »
The System is Down
Silently, unbeknownst to many out there (not that you should know—but the thoughts are on constant repeat in my head—thus I think the world knows):
I've been building a hi-fi system.
Numbers, Percentages, and Cold Fact
The music industry is responding to our recent enthusiasm for vinyl, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/business/la-et-vinyl18-2008au… the Los Angeles Times</a>. Original Recordings Group, a small vinyl-only label, needed only 24 hours to sell 4000 copies of TV on the Radio's excellent <i>Return To Cookie Mountain</i>. The label is on the way to grossing their first million dollars, and expects to double its vinyl output in 2009. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. has increased their vinyl production from 2000 copies per title to up to 15,000 copies. Such increases, of course, have a dramatic impact on pressing plants. Record Technology Inc's average pressing per title has doubled to 3000 units over the last few years.
Remember?
Fans of the Fiery Furnaces will be happy to know that the band is releasing a collection of live material. Charmingly titled <i>Remember</i>, the album brings together songs from the entire Fiery Furnaces catalog, digging way back to 2005 and even including tracks from last year's <i>Widow City</i>. With 51 tracks in all, <i>Remember</i> will be available as a triple-LP gatefold, and will include a coupon for free MP3 download. Pretty artwork, too.
Have you spent any money on vinyl LPs in the last 12 months? What did you buy?
Clearly many of you are spending bucks on your turntables these days. How about vinyl records to feed them? Have you spent any money on vinyl LPs in the last 12 months? What did you buy?
Logitech to Acquire Ultimate Ears
On August 14, Logitech International announced that it intended to acquire privately held Ultimate Ears for $34 million in cash. "Ultimate Ears is a perfect fit for Logitech and our audio business," said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech's president and CEO. "Since its inception, Ultimate Ears has been driven by innovation, close ties to its customers, and the desire to enable an immersive audio experience. Logitech's success has been built on using a deep understanding of our customers to create products that let people immerse themselves in their pursuits."
Jerry Wexler Dead at 91
Let's do the <I>It's a Wonderful Life</I> exercise, shall we? Imagine what popular music would sound like today without Jerry Wexler. Aretha Franklin would have never returned to her gospel roots, Ray Charles would have continued imitating Charles Brown and Nat Cole, Stax would have been a tiny regional record label, and denatured white covers of R&B songs would dominate the charts. In fact, the music we know today as rhythm and blues would still be called "race music"—Wexler having coined R&B while working at <I>Billboard</I> in 1949.
Love in Hi-Fi
But before heading over, Kimmy and I just wanted to sit down and watch a couple episodes of our favorite show, Curb Your Enthusiasm. We got distracted though, as is always the case with my blog entries, where plans change due to interest in more exciting forms of clarity, a better understanding of the world. By this, I'm talking about the new Vizio television my roommate Jason bought. (Hold your horses now! Don't get so riled up. I know this isn't a Home Theater blog, but I'm getting somewhere, kinda.)
Wexler
It’s appropriate that I’d be listening to Irma Thomas’ new R&B record, <I>Simply Grand</I> when I heard that Jerry Wexler had died.
Esoteric MG-20 loudspeaker
Audio shows are where reviewers search out products for possible review. We are always on the lookout—or listenout—for components that transcend the boundaries of the ordinary, that set the pulse racing a little faster. The 2007 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, held in Denver last October, was the first RMAF I had attended, and among the rooms that impressed me was one featuring components from the Japanese brand Esoteric, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary.